The greater cornua (or greater horns) of the hyoid bone project backward from the lateral borders of the body; they are flattened from above downward and diminish in size from before backward; each ends in a tubercle to which is fixed the lateral hyothyroid ligament.
The upper surface is rough close to its lateral border, for muscular attachments: the largest of these are the origins of the hyoglossus and Constrictor pharyngis medius which extend along the whole length of the cornu; the digastric muscle and stylohyoid muscle have small insertions in front of these near the junction of the body with the cornu.
To the medial border the hyothyroid membrane is attached, while the anterior half of the lateral border gives insertion to the thyrohyoid.
The greater cornua derive from the 3rd pharyngeal arches.
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